Foot power press



Sept. 22, V1936. W CQLCLOUGH 2,055,250

` FOOT POWER PRESS Filed Nov. 29, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR WILLIAM COLCLOUGH Y "if mmm ATTORNEYS Sept. 22, 1936. w. coLcLoUGH 2,055,250

\ FOOT POWER PRESS A Filed Nov. 29, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR I WILUM COLCLQUGH k f- @W ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 22, 1936 PATENT OFFICE FOOT POWER lPRESS Application lNovember 29, 1935, Serial No. 52,030

K 2 Claims.

'I'his invention relates lto a pressing machine -and mo1'e"particularly to improved operating mechanism 'for a machine of the `type `generally used in :pressing fabrics .and garments.

My invention relates to a pressing Vmachine .operated bythe physical effort of the operator. .My limprmfed foperating mechanism provides a pair @of coacting pressing members .-with manual provision for moving the members lto safe closed -position where there is no :longeredanger of the .operator injuring a hand between the approaching rnembersnand foot power;operated mechafnism .for completing the press closing operation.

A feature of my invention is the provision in a machine of lthetype above Idescribed of lan arrangement between the application of -power by the-operators foot andthe mechanism connected with thei movable pressing member so that thevoperator is unable to apply power `by .foot untilthef-press is safely closed. v

My .improved operatingmechanism provides a :novel cam connection between -a foot power operatedlever Aand 4agtoggle for moving a pressing -head Iinto vpressing position Vwith a coacting bed. AThe arrangement -of this cam is such as to prevent power movement of a foot operated lever while the movable head of a pressing machine 1traveling from its wide open position toa safe closed position rand an veffective connection between the cam and the V'head moving mechanism operative upon movement of the pressing head VAto ysafe closed position and actuation of the foot operatedileven Other objects and advantages `of Athe* present invention residein the yarrangement of the press -operating partsto carry out the Vabove `described applications and the advantages will be pointed `out .as-the 4description proceeds. The essential features of my invention are set forth in the appended claims. i

1n thedrawings, Fig. l is .an end elevation of a presslng'machine embodying my invention Aand showing in full .lines a pressing` head Iin open position and in broken lines thehead. in safe closed position adjacentthe bed; Fig. 2 is a view `.similar to Fig. VY1 showing the pressing members -in closed position; Fig-3 Ais ra partial sectional view along the :line Y3---3 of FigfZ; while Fig. -4 is van enlarged detail of a portion of theV press operating .mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

.In operating a pressing machine by `hand and foot power it -is possible for an Aoperator to partially close the press by hand and thereafter apply a heavy pressure through a foot operated lever while inadvertently entering a hand between the approaching pressing members -forthe purpose of straightening out an article being fpressed. In such a case if the hand is caught .between the pressing members by -the power foot operated mechanism the hand may `be-severely .5 injured. 'My present invention provides Aa mechanism for preventing such an accident.

In Vthe form shown, on `a framef `Il) is suitably mounted a pressing :bed Il which Amay ybe heated if desired by a heating iiuidrsupplied through the pipe connections l2. Upon the upper rear "portion of the frame is pivotally mounted `at AI3 a two-armed Vheadmlever =|4 which carries on its forward arm a pressing head l5 -forfniovement linto and out-of coacting position with the pressing bed. The head may be heated by suitable vfluid through the conduit means I6 'if jdesired. Suitable means is yprovided for moving the head lfrom open position `shown in -full lines in Fig. 1 to safe closed position shown in broken-lines in the same view and in the "present instance vthis takes the form of a handle I1 extending forwardly Afrom the head in `a position to be grasped by vthe operator.

Other head moving mechanism comprises 4a .25 pressure strut I :B-and alink member AI94 pivotally connectedtogether-at to form a forwardlybreaking toggle vhaving an upper `pivot connection 2l with the rear' arm of the head lever .and a rlower pivot connection 2-2 with the lower .rear portion of the frame.` A spring 23 and a counterweight -24 bias the toggle forwardly in broken position as shown in full lines in Fig. 1 so -as -to normally maintain the head in open position. `The forwardly-breaking toggle takes less floor space than one breaking rearwardly. The biasing devices 23 and 24 preferably only slightly overbalance 4the weight of the pressinghead land the associatedmoving partsl so that but aslighteffort on the part of the operator is necessary Vto -move the head from lfull line position to broken line position as shown in Fig. 1.

-A snubber device 25 serves to cushion the movementof the toggle into straightened .position and -is also adapted to provide an initial kick of -the .-45 toggle toward broken position uponzpress `opening if necessary., rAnother :snubber mechanism indicated `generally at 26 is adaptedV to cushion the opening movement of the press head. This snubber mechanism'comprises la casing 2-'I `suitably mounted `on the frame and carrying a plunger 28 'reciprocable in the casing and biased in extended position by the spring 29. The lower 4end'of plunger28 is provided with aconical opening 30 :as .shown in section in Fig. 2 and an ad- '55 justable needle 3| is positioned in the lower end of the casing to coact with the opening to progressively retard the inward or downward movement of plunger 28 under the influence of the opening press head. Preferably the lower end of casing 21 is sufciently filled with a suitable liquid to aid in the cushioning effect.

For applying-.power to the press head through the toggle Iii-'I9 I provide a power lever 32 pivotally mounted on the frame at 33 which is a. point on the frame forward of the lower toggle pivot 22. The power lever has an arm extending forwardly to a point 34' where the Yoperator may apply power by foot. A biasing device 35 connected to the foot power lever 'at 36 normally maintains the power lever in its elevated position.

I provide a novel connection between the power lever and the link member I9 which comprises `mal or elevated position as shown in Fig. 4. A

follower 38 is rotatably mounted upon the link member I9 spaced from pivot 22 and in a position to travel substantially in contact with the cam dwell portion 31a-while the link member I9 moves `from the position shown in'full lines in Fig. l to the position shown in broken lines therein. During this movement of member I9' the center of follower 38 traverses the path marked A in fFig; 4 and the follower moves from the position marked -B to the position marked C. It will be noted that during this movement the member I9 extends radially with respect to the dwell portion 31a so that depression of power lever 32 is directly resisted and prevented by the engagement between surface portion 31a and follower 38.

The operating member 31 is provided with a cam power portion 31b which is 'arranged -to apply power to the follower 38 in a toggle straightening direction after the follower has passed the "point C as already described in Fig. 4 and upon depression of the lever 32. To this `end I have formed the cam portion 31b as a smooth extension of the portion 31a, the two surfaces meeting at the point 31o. The cam power portion 31b in the form shown is in the shape of an arc labout a point 39 slightly to the rear of point 33.

It results from this arrangement that when the follower 38 has slightly passed the position indicated at C in Fig. 4 which corresponds to safeclosed position of the-pressing head, the cam p0rtion 31h is in position to cooperate with the follower upon clockwise movement of lever 32. Such coaction between cam portion 31h and follower 38 moves Vthe link member I9 rearwardly and applies a straightening effect to the nearlyhstraigfhtened'ftig'gle 'I8-'-I9 to Aapply a powerful vpressure between the pressing -head and bed and YAYcarries these pressing members into the position v4of Fig,2. AAt this time the follower 38 occupies the vposition indicated at D in Fig. 4 and the lever V32 is in the position indicated by broken lines in Fig. 4. Y

Means is provided for holding the power lever `32locked in its depressed position to hold the press closed as long as'desired. This latohing means comprises a lever 40 pivotally mounted Von the frame at' 4I and carrying a'latch 42 which Vis adapted to-'engage a lateral extension of pin 36 on lever 32 to hold the lever depressed. A spring 43 normally biases lever 40 toward its elevated position as shown in Fig. 1 and upon depression of lever 32 pin 36 cams latch 4-2 forward until pin 36 reaches the position of Fig. 2 at which time spring 43 returns the latch 42 to a position over pin 36 and the parts remain latched. To release the latch lever 40 is moved in a clockwise direction by the operator.

A convenient arrangement of the operating f member 31 and the follower 38 is shown in Fig.

3 where the link member I9 is bifurcated as shown at I9a and ISU with the follower 38 having its opposite ends rotatably supported in these portions of the link member. The cam 31 is then adapted to lie between the portions |90l and I9b Yto coact with the follower 38 as shown in Fig. 3.

In the construction shown the snubber device 25 has two portions 25a and 25D, respectively, adapted to coact with the bifurcated link portions.

I provide live rubber cushions 44- and 45 to limit the movement of lever 40 at the opposite ends of its traveland another live rubber cushion 46 for cushioning the downward movement of lever 32.

The operation of the device will be clear from the above description and briefly recited'is as follows: With the parts in the full line position of Fig. 1 the operator arranges the lay of the Vwork upon bed I I, grasps the handle I 1 and moves the head to the position shown in broken lines in Fig. l. During this movement of the pressing head the operator may have a foot upon the power lever portion 34 if desired but depression of the lever is impossible because of the restraining action between follower 38 and cam portion 31a already described. Upon the parts reaching the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 1 or shortly thereafter, depression of pedalY 34 is possible and may be felt by the operator through a light pressure of the foot on the power lever. Thereafter depression of lever 32 causes cam portion 312i to move the toggle toward straightenedv position to completely close and latch vthe press as shown in Fig. 2. Unlatching of the press is accomplished by depression of lever 40 and the biasing means 23 and 24 will then open the press.

I nd with the above described construction that it is possible for the operator to stand upon the lever 32 and close the press by a pull upon the-handle I1. This is possible because of the novel arrangement of the cam surface 31a when the lever 32 is in its elevated position relative to the path of travel of follower 38.

It results from the construction shown and described that'the operator cannot crush a hand rbetween the pressing members by inadvertently depressing the foot operated lever while trying to give a last minute touch to the work on the bed. The foot lever cannot be operated until the follower 38 passes the point C in Fgl and at that time therhead is so close to the bed that the operator will have removed her hand.

What I claim is: p

l. In a pressing machine, a frame, a pressing bed mounted thereon, a two armed head lever pivotally mounted in the frame and carrying a pressing head on its forward arm, a pressure'strut pivotally connected with the rear arm of said head lever, a link member pivoted to said strut and having a lower pivot connection with the lower rear portion of the frame, said pressure strut and link member being arranged to form a toggle which breaks forwardly, a power lever pivotally mounted on the frame forward of said lower pivot connection, said power lever having one arm extending forwardly and adapted for foot operation and normally lying in an elevated position and a second arm forming an operating member and extending rearwardly, and cooperating abutment means on one of said members and cam means on the other of said members arranged to hold said power lever against substantial movement while said head moves from open to safe-closed position and thereafter to cause movement of said toggle toward straightened position by depression of the forward arm of said power lever.

2. In a pressing machine, a frame, a pressing bed mounted thereon, a two armed head lever pivotally mounted in the frame and carrying a pressing head on its forward arm, a pressure strut pivotally connected with the rear arm of said head lever, a link member pivoted to said strut and having a lower pivot connection with the lower rear portion of the frame, said pressure strut and link member being arranged to form a toggle which breaks forwardly, a power lever pivotally mounted on the frame forward of said lower pivot connection, said power lever having one arm extending forwardly and adapted for foot operation and normally lying in an elevated position and a second arm forming an operating member and extending rearwardly, said operating member having a cam dwell portion extending in an arc about said lower pivot connection when said power lever is in elevated position, a follower on said link member spaced from said lower pivot connection, said follower traveling tive relationship only upon movement of said 20 toggle to safe-closed position of said head.

WILLIAM COLCLOUGH. 

